Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

When I arrived at WHS on Sunday, I saw Jolene out in a yard with Rocky, and Linda was in the next one with Pam. I decided to see what they were up to on a lovely June morning. Both dogs were having a blast. Rocky and Jolene were practicing some commands and then chilling.

Rocky is a two-year-old mixed breed boy who arrived at the shelter in April. Rocky is both house- and crate-trained. His former family told us that once comfortable, Rocky is playful and outgoing, getting along with other dogs and all people. He has done well in our playgroups and loves car rides and adventures. Because of his initial shyness around new people and situations, he is recommended for families with older kids, fifteen and up. To learn more about this terrific dog, check out my June 5th blog post here.

 

Pam was in the mood for some romping and “zoomies.”

Pam is a two-year-old mixed breed girl who was transferred to us from our sister shelter in Hawaii. To find out more about this sweetheart, check out my last week’s post here:

A little while later, I happened to see Linda and Susan out in another yard with Pam and Fetty. They were having a glorious romp together while sharing a rather worse-for-wear stuffed toy.

 

To find out more about Fetty, a five-year-old mixed breed boy, read about him in my May 5th post here:

 

 

 

I’ve been waiting for my new family since April 18th. Sure wish they would find me. 

Zabrina is a three-year-old Bull Terrier mix. She was born in Hawaii and spent her first years in Maui. She was a favorite with the shelter folks there, but didn’t get adopted. She then moved to Oregon in 2017, in search of her forever family. She was adopted, but came back to WHS this April. Her former family decided she really wasn’t happy being an apartment dog. Here she is with Ayla and Marianne, two of her fans.

 

 

Zabrina only has three legs. She was found by Maui police officers lying on a road with a severe fracture of her back left leg. She was taken to the shelter and it was determined that the best action was to amputate the leg. But don’t think for a minute that she can’t run. This girl is like a freight train! She is very muscular and can keep up with any four-legged canine without blinking an eye.

Zabrina is rated for children about 13 and older. She is crate-trained, but needs a little help in house-training. She needs to be on a schedule. In her excitement about life, Zabrina can get jumpy and mouthy, so needs a patient family who will use rewards-based training to help her refine her manners. She just doesn’t realize that in her zest for life she can be too exuberant. She is smart, LOVES people and attention, and with a little effort from her person, she’ll learn quickly. She is selective about her canine playmates, but plays well with her friends. While Zabrina may take a little time at first, she will pay you for your efforts with devotion and will make you laugh. We took her into a small yard last Sunday just to chill and she loved it.

 

 

Then we enjoyed some Blanket Time together. Zabrina will need exercise—she LOVES to play fetch. But then she will settle in for some relaxing family time. She will make a wonderful companion for a family with a little patience and lots of love for a three-legged shelter dog who had a difficult start in her young life.

 

 

 

 

 

Looking for a great family dog? Look no further, it’s ME!

Puff is a two-year-old Weimaraner/Lab mix and is an absolute delight. I mean, look at this face! He was found as a stray, so we don’t know his history, but oh my, he is such a nice boy!

 

 

I first met Puff when he was out for his afternoon walk with Angie and Kaylee shortly after he arrived at WHS. I was immediately smitten.

 

 

 

Puff is his own best advocate.

 

Puff is an active guy with lots of energy. He has done well in our playgroups, though he is selective about his canine friends. He walks very politely on leash, and talk about being a water dog! Puff is hoping his new family will allow him to have a kiddie pool, as he loves playing in the shelter’s.

On Sunday, Caroline, Marianne, Ayla and I decided to see if Puff liked Blanket Time, hoping he would settle and enjoy some quiet relaxation. We were not disappointed. The moment he saw the blanket spread out on the grass he stretched out.

 

 

Again, Puff doesn’t waste a chance to find his new home, knowing I’d be posting this picture for potential adopters to see.

 

 

Ayla had some new funny cat videos to share with everyone.

 

And then suddenly THIS happened. Could he BE any more relaxed?!

 

Soon three more Puff fans joined us in the shade: Sasha, one of our Adoption Specialists and volunteers Susan and Linda.

 

 

 

The air was warm, the grass was freshly mowed, the GFB (Giant Fluff Ball) was soft, and he was surrounded by people who love him. Of course he dozed off.

 

We’re hoping this big, goofy, affectionate boy will soon be dozing with his forever family.

 

 

 

 

I’ve been here a very long time. I haven’t found my perfect family fit yet. But I just know it is out there!

Hank arrived at WHS in March of 2018. He is a three-year-old mixed breed boy who came from an overcrowded shelter in California. He was adopted quickly, but was surrendered five months later when his family moved and couldn’t take him with them. He was adopted again, but that was not the right fit for this active dog. So Hank continues to wait and hope for just the right person to find him. On Sunday we took him into Mary’s Place to get some new pictures and let him hang out with us for a while. He had a great time. We were pretty sure the GFB (Giant Fluff Ball) would be a hit, and it was!

 

Hank has been working with the Behavior and Training Team and here is what Chelsea, our BTT Manager, writes about him.

“Our Mr. Personality, Hank, needs a home! A couch, a yard, dog toys all his own, a human to spoil him, and more! Can you take him? Hank-a-roo is friendly, playful, active, and just really wants to be with people! Every two-legged person is his friend! He can’t get enough of the great outdoors and could follow his nose all day, every day. We know he’d thrive with that hiking and camping lifestyle! He ADORES plushy toys and will entertain himself with them for hours. It’s quite hilarious to watch him toss and catch them! This people-social kid is a big snuggler and soaks up any scritches you offer him. He is very playful with his two-legged friends, with or without toys. Hank thrives with rewards-based training and is an enthusiastic, engaged, smart learner. His adoption includes a class and three private lessons here! If you have other pups already, a meet here is a must as he’s fairly picky about his playmates, but he’d be equally happy to be the sole recipient of your attention! Cats and small animals are a no-go since they are just too tempting. Teens or older would do just fine and would probably get a kick out of his fun n’ games!”

After some GFB time, Linda reviewed some skills and Ayla snuggled with him.

 

 

Then we went outside for some new pictures for his file.

“Hank needs a family that has the stability, time, and interest to work (and play!) with him. He’ll pay you back in spades, with his joyful, eager demeanor. Let us know if you want to meet this adventurous, silly fellow!”

Anyone interested in meeting Hank can contact the Training Team here: behavior@whs4pets.org

We’re hoping that Hank won’t have to wait too much longer for his forever family. As much as he loves his peeps at the shelter, he can’t wait to have a family and home to call his own.

 

 

 

 

There is no real title for this series. Feel free to make up your own. It’s a good thing I don’t take dogs’ behavior personally.

 

 

 

 

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you have followed Terry’s story as he waited for his perfect fit of a family. We were all over the moon when last Sunday that family came. Here was his going-home picture I posted then.

 

I was thrilled when I got this wonderful update this week!

“For us, Terry is the best dog ever! He is sooo sweet and he loves to stay by our sides. In the morning he doesn’t get up until 10:00! He likes to go jogging with me in our big backyard. He likes to play and run around in it, too. I am alone at home when my husband is working. It was so sad to be alone here because I am from the Philippines, I just came here last April. My husband decided to find a dog to be with me when he is at work so we started searching for a dog online at shelters near here. We visited WHS and the one who captured my heart was Terry, a sweet, big boy. We wanted to get Terry that same day, but we needed to fix the fence in our backyard. I never stopped thinking of Terry every day and hoped that he was still at WHS waiting for us. It was a good thing that there was a blog and website and I could see that Terry was still available. On June 9th we went back to the shelter and I was so excited. We put Terry on hold and the next day was adoption day! We feel so blessed. Thank you to all of the friendly and sweetheart WHS staff. I’m sure Terry misses you guys!”

 

On that happy note, that’s it for this week!

 

 

All of the dogs I have featured today, along with other terrific dogs waiting to be adopted, can be found at Willamette Humane Society. Here is the link to the adoptable-dog page:

https://whs4pets.org/adopt-a-pet/dogs-2/

Remember, if you see a dog on my blog whom you are interested in meeting, try to make arrangements to get to the Willamette Humane Society soon. Some dogs are adopted more quickly than you might think.

You can reach me at  adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com